Molder&#39;s tool



1943' F. o. GARRISON 2,335,004

MOLDER S TOOL Filed June 16, 1942 Had OZ 1 ver Garrison INVENTQR.

BY WZM Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOLDERS TOOLFred Oliver Garrison, South Gate, Calif. Application June 16, 1942,Serial No. 447,283

I 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in molders tools, andparticularly to devices intended for use in cutting and reaming riserchannels in the molded sand forms comprising the hollow receptaclescommonly referred to in the foundry industry as molds or flasks,preparatory to pouring the molten metal.

Briefly described, the foundry operation of producing metal castingsgenerally consists of making a sectional mold formed of speciallyprepared relatively soften earthen composition known as molders sand,over a pattern made of wood, metal or other suitable material having abody of substantially the same shape as the casting to be produced,removing the pattern by separating the various sections of the finishedmold, re-uniting the latter so as to result in a hollow inner chamberwhich is then in the exact form or shape of the metal body to be cast,and thereupon perforating the upper wall of the finished mold so as toform therein a plurality of suitably located vertically disposedchannels having exterior orifices in communication with the hollowinterior, oneof which channels is in-, tended for use as a mouth forreceiving the pour of molten metal, while other oppositely disposedchannels act as exit passages for air and gases, and for containing theexcess of poured metal constituting the overflow known as risers. Aftercompletion of the mold and the final cleaning thereof, which is usuallyby means of compressed air, molten metal is poured intothe form throughone of the inlets previouslydescribed until the level of the metal hasreached a satisfactory point within the riser channels, therebycompletely filling in all areas Within the interior chamber which formsthe casting proper. Thereafter the cast is allowed to set, the sectionalmold being later disassembled and the finished casting removed and cutto eliminate undesired portions of the metal studs Orrisers whichproject from the casting as a result of the filling of the riserchannels.

As previously mentioned, the function of the riser channel is toallow-escape of air andgases from the interior of the mold during thepour, so as to prevent the forming of air-bubbles or the like in thecasting, and more particularly to receive a sufiicient amount of theexcess metal poured to create back-pressure upon the metal within themold during the time the metal remains in a state of flux, so as toforce the metal to all areas within the mold. and maintain a fullyexpanded condition of the same, in order to prevent undue shrinkage andother deficiencies, flaws, or imperfections, however slight, which mightrender the entire cast a failure, especially when precision work isinvolved, such as aluminum aircraft parts and other essential defenseproducts.

A riser channel is usually out by perforating the molded sand with theopen end of a section of pipe or tubing, which results in a channel ofsubstantially uniform diameter throughoutits length; and in order torender this opening more eflicient so as to enable it to contain. agreater weight of molten metal for creating back-pressure, it has beencommon practice to taper its outer portion into substantially frustoconical shape, usually by reaming with some form of availablepresent-day hand tool such as a cement workers trowel, a knife, a scoop,or the like, the use of which invariably results in a roughlyshaped,un-uniform opening at best even when the workman has acquiredconsiderable technique in manipulating such a tool in executing theoperation. But regardless of whether the work is done expertly orinexpertly, it always requires a considerable amount of time ifperformed in this fashion, and frequently results in damage to the moldwhen the operator is inexpert or careless, so that repair work isnecessary before continuing with the regular process, causing much lossof time and thereby adding very materially to the cost of operations,especially when the mold becomes damaged beyond repair and a new moldmust be made. When the molder happens to be working on a piece-work orsimilar basis it can readilybe seen that such difficulties are apt toresult in,a serious loss to him personally. A factor of much greaterimportance at the present time, however, is the resulting delay inproducing urgently needed war equipment.

Therefore the principal object of the present invention is the provisionof a simply constructed, inexpensive device in the nature of a riserreamer by the use of which the cutting of tapering riser openings can beperformed more speedily and accurately than heretofore with a minimum ofeffort, and whereby production of castings, particularlythose used innational defense industries, can be greatly expedited and their costmaterially reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a riser reamer for use bymolders in foundries or the like, which device, when constructed ofmetal, will require a minimum amount of said material, thus effecting aconsiderable saving in steel or other metals over types of toolsheretofore used for performing work of this character.

A further object of the invention is to provide an extremely useful andaccurate molders' riser reaming tool, which shall be simple ofconstruction and long-wearing, composed of a minimum of easilyreplaceable parts, and which may be of such composition as to require aminimum amount of materials of the kind required for executing ordersused in war and defense production, and the use f which tool will renderthe tasks of the operator more pleasant and at the same time enable himto produce more andbetter work with less effort than heretofore.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from thedisclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawing andhereinafter more fully described. I

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section illustrating theriser reamer of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top View of the same.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the same.

As shown in the drawing:

The reference numeral It! indicates an elongated stem provided at itsupper end with an integral handle I l, the stem l preferably having atapering lower end l2 the bottomof which may be suitably slotted ornotched to form guides l3 for purposes hereinafter set forth.

Attached to the stem ii! at a suitable point intermediate its ends is astrong transverse web or plate l4 concentric with and of considerablylarger maximum diameter than the stem. The element l4 may be made ofmetal or any other suitable material adapted for this purpose, and itcan be shaped in any design which will permit of assembly of the partsas hereinafter set forth.

The plate l4 may be attached to the stem in immovable, fixed position bymaking same integral with the stem [9-, but I prefer to provide it witha central aperture I5 and to equip the stem Ill with an exterior threadl6 over which the plate l4 may slide freely upon the stem, but of asufficiently snug fit to prevent sidewise play,'so that the plate maybemovable longitudinally and adjustable by means of a pair of lock nutsl1, I8 adapted to threadably engage the-stem and bear against contactwashers I9, 20, which, in turn, are adapted to engagethe upper and lowerfaces of the plate l4 when tightened so as to lock the plate rigidly infixed position at a given level and render it non-rotatable upon thestem 10.

The stem II] is adapted to carry a plurality of cutting or reamingelements or surfaces the working edges of which follow a straight linetions may be securely fastened to said plate. I prefer to make thefastening elements 22 in the form of bolts slidable through suitableorifices cut through the body of the plate I l, and to thread such boltsso that they may be tightened by means of ordinary nuts 23. In order tosave materials I also prefer to shape the plate M in the general form ofa cross having a series of oppositely disposed radially directedtransverse arms 24, each arm being provided at its outer end with aguide or notch 25. The middle portion of each wire 2| is strung throughone of the guides I3 located at the working end of the stem l0 and ledthrough the arm notches 25 to prevent sliptapering from the periphery ofthe plate M in a central direction toward the lower end of the stem [0so as to be capable of cutting or reaming out a frusto-conical area froma body of molders sand or the like. Such reaming elements may be of anycomposition and shape suitable for this purpose, such as straight orspirally curved blades, fins, or the like, which could be mounted on thestem Ill in any well known manner. I,

However, I have found that a very inexpensive though highly satisfactoryform of reaming element for this particular purpose, and [one whichtends to conserve materials by eliminating the necessity of therelatively wide bladedelements, can be made as best shown in Figs. 1 to3, inclusive, by forming said reaming elements. of a plurality oflengths of thin wire 2|, the ends of which may be looped around theshanks of screws or bolts 22 mounted on the plate I4 adjacent theperiphery thereof, and whereby such looped porpage. Quite obviously thewires 21 could be made shorter so as merely to span the distance betweenthe periphery of the plate l4 and the notched point [3 of the stem andfastened at the latter point by any conventional method. However, I havefound in practice that the structure previously described is much to bepreferred, inasmuch as a considerable saving of wire is effected,assembly and replacement time is reduced to a minimum, and the longerwire strung through the notches I3 in the manner shown automaticallyserves to equalive the tension of each wire on both sides of the stem.Thus the wires 2| may be stretched to any degree of tension desiredwhile in process of mounting as above described and subsequently thewires may at all times be kept taut by forcing slight upward movement ofthe plate 14 upon the stem In by means of the elevating nut l8 and theupper lock nut H, a fraction of a turn of the nut l8 aftercorrespondingly loosening the lock nut I! usually being sufficient tobring about the desired result. Both assembly and adjustment can bereadily accomplished by even the most inexperienced person with no moreequipment than a pair of common pliers. The elements l1, l8 may be wingnuts, if desired.

Replacement of the wires 2! themselves, when required, is simple andinexpensive due to the ready availability of the standardwire'materials, and making the replacement involves little or noinconvenience or loss of time on the part of the user, who needs nospecial tools or equipment for making the replacement himself.

The cutting edges of any tiil made in accordance with this invention maybe lengthened or shortened by conventional means regardless of the typeof cutters employed, by merely mountmg same in any manner that willallow for such change. For example, in the preferred modification shownherein this can be accomplished by moving the member I toward or awayfrom the working end of the tool by means of the adjusting elements I!and I8 after loosening the fastening elements 22 and either taking up onor releasing the wires 2|, as the situation calls for, said wires beingpreferably made in an original length sufficient to meet maximumrequirements within a given range, and capable of re-looping andtightening as hereinbefore described. Furthermore, a wide variety ofequivalents well known in the art could be substituted for certain ofthe individual parts, and innumerable changes and substitutions would bep ssible throughout a wide range in executingthe invention withoutdeparting from the basic principles thereof.

To illustrate only a few of the changes possible: The shank of thethreaded stem could be provided with a longitudinal slot adapted tocooperate with key means integral with the plate M for preventingturning ofthe plate about the 2,335,004 stem, yet-providingthesame-degree of adjustability as demonstrated-in the preferredmodification. Fastening of the wires 2| to theplate l4 might be byordinarysetscrews adapted to be threadably introduced into correspondingtapped openingsin'the plate I 4; or the wires could be simply attachedby tying same-directly to-the plate. Holes could be drilled throughthestem ID in lieu of the'notches l3. Or, if' it is desired toseparately fasten each length of wire at the working end of the stem I0,this Would;be-possible by simply shaping the pointer attachment in amanner that would permit ofthe fastening method desired, such as byproviding prongs or hooks integral with the stem, why using set screws,or the like. Also, if desired, the plate l4 may be in any form whichwill allow lateral adjustment of the cutting elements' to wider' ornarrower diameter, so as to have the effect of changing the angle of thecutting elements for producing enlarged or restricted orifices of anydesired depth.

In using the device to learn an opening, the molder simply grasps thetool-by its handle H and inserts the tapering end l2'into the riserchannel to be widened or reamed out. Then, by exerting slight pressureor by allowing the weig-ht of the tool to provide the desired pressureand at the same time rotating the tool about its stem while its reamingelements are in contact with the sand surface to be cut out, the cuttingelements 2| will ream out the soft earthen material about the channelopening, producing a smooth-surfaced, uniform, funnel-shaped orifice ofthe depth and taper desired, reducing the loosened sand to a finelygranulated state which can be easily removed by the usual methods, as byair pressure, the entire operation being of but a few moments durationand eliminating entirely the hazard of gouging out sizable lumps of sandor accidentally damaging the mold through carelessness, accident, orotherwise, as would likely occur when crude or improper tools are used,since the present device is obviously capable of use only according tothe method indicated and cannot fail to produce anything but uniformlysatisfactory results.

The great amount of time saved by the molder by using this device is anextremely important contributing factor toward expediting production,which is now very vital on defense orders, and the ease with which thetool can b manipulated renders more pleasant the molders task, whichinvolves very tiresome manual labor. Since the molders compensation isoften measured by the number of perfect molds produced by him in a givenperiod of time, my device, which is no more expensive thanunsatisfactory tools, will enable him to earn more money with lesseffort than heretofore, as the acceptable quality of his Work will nevervary as to the operation described. Accordingly, a uniformly excellentstandard of quality will be maintained in castings produced, and waste,expense, and loss of time due to rejections are reduced to a minimum.

While the foregoing remarks have described the use of the invention onlyin the art of producing metal castings, its use is by no means limitedto this particular field. I have merely chosen the metal foundry as anillustration. Obviously my tool would be usable in numerous otherindustries where similar problems may arise or similar productionmethods are used.

I claim as my invention:

l. A tool for cutting tapering riser opemngs in foundry molds,comprising combination, an elongatedbodyin the general form of a stemhaving a handle end and a working end, said working end comprising acutting head surrounding said stem-and concentric therewith and attachedthereto so as-to be incapable of independent rotation about said stemwhile the tool-is in use, said cutting head tapering at an angle. fromauniform radi'usextending laterally about and in spaced relation to saidstem, toward a remote focal point-disposed in the general direction ofand concentric with th working end of the stem, said cutting headpresenting a plurality of diagonal-,spaced, adjustable reaming elements.

2. A- tool for cutting tapering riser openings in foundry molds,comprising in combination, an elongated body-in the general form of astem having ahandle end and a working end, said working end comprising acutting head surrounding said stem and attached thereto so as to beimmovable and nonrotatable about said stern while the tool is in use,said cutting head comprising a pair of oppositely disposed cutting edgestapering at an angle from a uniform radius extending laterally about andin spaced relation to said stem, toward a remote focal point disposed inthe general direction of and concentric with the working end of thestem, said cutting head being adjustable in length.

3. A tool for cutting tapering riser openings in foundry molds,comprising in combination, an elongated body in the general form of astem having a handle end and a working end and an intermediate bodyportion, said working end comprising a cutting head surrounding saidstem and concentric therewith and attached to said intermediate bodyportion so as to be incapable of independent rotation about said stemwhile the tool is in use, said cuttin head tapering at an angle from auniform radius extending laterally about and in spaced relation to saidintermediate body portion, toward a remote focal point disposed in thegeneral direction of and concentric with the working end of the stem,said cutting head including a plurality of longitudinally disposedtightly stretched lengths of wire.

4. A tool for cutting tapering riser openings in foundry molds,comprising in combination, an elongated body in the general form of astem having a handle end and a working end and an intermediate bodyportion, said working end comprising a cutting head surrounding saidstem and concentric therewith and attached to said intermediate bodyportion so as to be incapable of independent rotation about said stemWhile the tool is in use, said cutting head tapering at an angle from auniform radius extending laterally about and in spaced relation to saidintermediate body portion, toward a remote focal point disposed in thegeneral direction of and concentric with the working end of the stem,said cutting head including a plurality of longitudinally disposedtightly stretched lengths of wire, and means on the tool permittingconcentric adjustment of the angular area defined by said cutting head.

5. A tool forcutting tapering riser openings in foundry molds,comprising in combination, an elongated body in the general form of astem having a handle end and a working end and an intermediate bodyportion, and having a threaded section on said intermediate portion, anenlarged radial plate co-axial with the stem and provided with a centralaperture and mounted on said stem so as to allow slidable, snug-fittinglongitudinal .adjustment thereof upon the stem, internally threaded nutmeans mounted upon the threaded section of the stem for locking theplate immovably and nonrotatably in adjusted position in relation to thestem while the tool is in use, and a plurality of longitudinallydisposed reaming elements comprising wires spaced in radial symmetry andheld in fixed position aboutsaidstem and fastened to and strung betweenfixedradial points adjacent the periphery of the plate and said workingend so as to taper at an angle from a uniform radius extending laterallyabout and in spaced relation to said intermediate body portion, toward aremote focal point disposed in the general direction of and concentricwith the working end of the stem.

6. A tool for cutting tapering riser openings in foundry molds,comprising in combination, an elongated body in the general form of astein having a handle end and a working end and an intermediate bodyportion, and having a threaded section on said intermediate bodyportion, an enlarged radial plate co-axial with the stem and providedwith a central aperture and mounted on said stem so as to allowslidable, snug-fitting longitudinal adjustment thereof upon the stem,internally threaded nut means mounted uponthe threaded section of thestem for locking the plate immovably and nonrotatably inadjusted'posi'tion in relation to the stem while th tool i in use,

a plurality of longitudinally disposed reaming elements comprising Wiresspaced in radial symmetry and held'in fixed position about said stem andfastened to and strung between fixed radial points adjacent theperiphery of the plate and said working end so as to taper at an anglefrom a uniform radius extending laterally about and in spaced relationto said intermediate body portion, toward a remote focal point disposedin the general direction of and concentric with the workingend of thestem, and means on the tool permitting concentricadjustment of theangular area, defined by said reaming face.

7. A tool for cutting tapering riser openings in foundry molds,comprising in combination, an elongated body having a handle end and aworking end, and a reaming head formed about said working end andconcentric therewith and attached thereto so as to be incapable ofindependent rotationabout said working end while the tool is in use,said reaming head tapering at an angle from a uniform radius extendinglaterally about and in spaced relation to said working end, toward aremote focal point spaced away from said working end and in line withthe 1ongitudinal axis of said body, said reaming head presenting aplurality of diagonal, spaced, adjustable reaming elements.

FRED OLIVER GARRISON.

